Playing close games is nothing new to Lexington and Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell. The two clubs played a one-run game last week and had an 11-inning tilt last season.

So to see the Minutemen and Warriors go eight innings in their Class 1A Lexington Regional semifinal game Thursday was not surprising.

A superb pitching effort by Jonny Meints and a key base hit led Lexington to a 3-2 eight-inning win over WFC at Keller Park.

“Jonny has just been money,” LHS head coach Dave Lingle said of his ace. “He came in in a very tough situation, he was able to put out the lights and stop it.”

Meints was golden in the third inning after starter Donavan Laible ran into serious trouble.

Alec Dutko doubled to right field, his second two-bagger of the game, to lead off the frame and Nate Roemer laced a double down the line past third base to plate Dutko with the go-ahead run, making it 2-1.

Laible then walked Jason Russow and Matt Kennedy to load the bases. Lingle decided to try to stop the bleeding right there.

“It was a tough decision to make. Donavan is a very good pitcher, but it appeared he was struggling,” Lingle said.

Lingle summoned Meints from third base to take over on the hill. Meints got Alex Erschen to fly out to left and then got Jesse Leskanich and Trevor Legner looking at strike three to get out of the jam.

“I hadn’t pitched in two weeks or so. I was warm but not to 100 percent,” Meints said. “Coming in with bases loaded, everybody was probably thinking, ‘Oh, great. This is the end of it again.’ I’m proud of how everyone competed.”

Meints faced two more serious scoring situations over the next five innings and managed to escape without any damage.

One of those situations was the bottom of the eighth when WFC posed its final threat. Erschen singled to lead off the inning. He stole second with Leskanich at bat and third with Legner at the plate.

The threat — and the game — ended when Tommy North’s fly ball was hauled in by Laible in short center field.

“Ersch got a good hit, stole a couple of bases (and) we were in position,” WFC head coach Todd Hoffman said. “Tommy hit it in the air instead of a line drive or on the ground.”

Page 2 of 3 - Meints, one of four seniors on the team, did his part, but so did his classmates, including Nate Jacobs who got on with a single that allowed Ted Lingle to score the winning run.

Lingle hit a high-chopper between the mound and third base that WFC hurler Dutko fielded. The ball and Lingle got to the bag at the same time and first baseman Kennedy pulled his foot to make the catch.

With Jacobs at the plate, Dutko tried a pickoff throw that got away from Kennedy and Lingle moved up to second. Jacobs then singled to center and Lingle scored on the play.

Laible, who had a bad inning on the hill, came through with a big hit in the sixth inning that tied the game.

“I was actually talking to one of the players and I said it would be great if Donavan could just get a double,” Meints said. “Chase (Payne) is probably the fastest guy on the team (so) if he gets a double (Chase) is definitely scoring.”

Payne reached on an infield single with two outs in the sixth and Laible followed with a ringing two-base hit to right-center. There was no hesitation by Coach Lingle as he vigorously waved Payne home.

The fourth senior, Henry Nettles, came through with a base hit in the second inning that drove in the first run of the game. Meints had drawn a one-out walk and Tucker Lee followed with a base hit. After an out, Nettles slapped a single to left that brought in Meints.

“I’ve got four seniors,” Lingle said. “Henry had a big hit early on in the game; Nate came through with the base hit to score Ted; Donavan hit that double; and Jonny comes in and lights out. I can’t say enough for them.”

Lost in all the action was the pitching of Dutko. Only twice was Lexington able to get more than one runner on base against the WFC senior in the game.

“Alec threw great. He gave us everything we asked,” Hoffman said of Dutko. “He kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to win.”

Dutko finished with nine strikeouts while walking two. He gave up seven hits in taking the loss.

Meints got the win after punching out 11 over the final five frames. He walked one and hit a batter while yielding just two hits. Laible allowed four hits and three walks while fanning four in two-plus innings.

Page 3 of 3 - Laible did lead the Lexington (8-9) offense with a double and single. Lee, Nettles, Payne, Lingle and Jacobs also singled.

Dutko had a pair of two-base hits for the Warriors. Roemer also doubled and North, Erschen and Tanner Bertsche each singled.

Lexington will take on Roanoke-Benson, an upset winner over top-seed Heyworth in Wednesday’s semifinal, at 1 p.m. Saturday at Keller Park.